I will worn you this is another practical post:
Andy and I always say that Sunday is Funday...for him ironically Sundays tend to be a busy time for his line of work and therefore he usually enjoys Sundays. I on the other hand usually dread Sundays after he has worked all weekend. By Sunday I am exhausted, tired of fighting random battles like not letting Miss K eat dog food, why I won't let her suck on bobby pins or whatever other ways I have rocked her world, and dreading the week to come. Insert church which falls right smack in the middle of no good time as far as a schedule goes. Add in that I must prepare for work for the week as Mondays are staff meetings. All in all, Sundays are uncomfortable...sometimes stressful...and rarely Sabbath feeling. In my desperate attempt to change perspective, be intentional, and live proactive instead of reactive I have changed some things.
I found 2 blogs off of pinterest (imagine that) that rocked my world. The first one was called living well spending less and she has a whole section devoted to Sunday Prep. I was mesmerized that she spent 3 hours and was completely ready for the week. The second site was called organize 365 and she had an organizing system called "Sunday Basket". Those two sites motivated me to take back control of my hectic Sundays and be able to breathe come Monday morning. I share this incase there are other working moms that dread their Sundays, their weeks, or any day in between.
First I made a list of all the things I needed to do on Sunday to be prepared for the week or things that I wished I would do prior to the week starting so that my whole week would go smoother:
Refill Diaper Bag
Clean Out Cars
Meal Plan
Prep Meals
Tend to schedule
Prepare for Staff Meeting
Refill Snacks
House Clean
Fill cars with Gas
Laundry
Get to do lists done for volunteers/staff
Prepare for tot school
I then printed all of the Sunday Prep printables, my menus and recipies (I never stick to her menus- and my lunches aren't PBJ either- so some tweaking had to take place but it was a good place to start).
With everything in a plan that makes sense and following the gist of her time outline, I am ready to crank things out. Anything that I stumble upon that needs some attention or I start thinking about I add it to my "basket" or jot it down and add the note to the basket. When my 3 hours are over (or Kadence's nap is over)- I stop where I am at. Today when she got up she wanted to cook- she woke up saying "Kadence cook?" so we made blueberry muffins which was on the list and yet really easy for a toddler to help with.
The rest of my Sunday is family time- coloring, reading books, playing, whatever the day might bring. Then after our bedtime routine and Miss K is asleep (this happens at 8 in our home) I get my basket out. First I look at my calendar and make sure it matches our kitchen calendar (the only thing Andy will look at). Then I start cranking through papers- sorting, throwing things away, etc. I make sure all my tot school stuff is ready, that my staff meeting agenda is done, my to do list for the week is started and by 9pm I am fully prepared for the week.
Since adapting the "Sunday Prep" method and the "Sunday Basket" method I have cranked through my to do lists, been way more efficient, and Miss K willing I can get all of Sunday Prep cranked out during her nap time. My Sunday Prep takes care of enough meals that I should only have to do my long planning every other weekend (which works with Andy's schedule) and then weeks that he is home I just need to plan for staff meeting. Which all in all these methods have increased my productivity, allowed me to plan healthy meals for our family, increased the amount of intentional time I am with my family, and allows the rest of the weeks morning/evening routine to not be as crazy.
So it seems a bit odd to spend the sabbath working...but it doesn't feel like work. I crank up the worship music and weirdly having a game plan allows me more time the rest of the week to spend time with Him and rest. But even on my big plan day- by 9pm I have the house picked up (not spotless), the candle lit(one of my favorite things), worship music playing, and my week prepped for, and there is a peace...a peace where you can breathe...and do whatever brings you joy- tonight for me that's blogging and getting a good nights sleep.
I love grooves...I love finding one...
For now this groove is working for us, my family, our work schedule, and our demands...That's not bad for almost two years of chaotic weeks...I am a slow learner what can I say. But for now I will take this peace...
Night Y'all
